The HidenSeek Treat
by Emo-Ki
Summary: Young Sasuke and Naruto play hide and seek. The winner gets a special one of a kind treat at the end.


"Lets play tag! Lets play tag! Sasu, lets play tag!" A short blonde boy with whiskers on his cheeks runs up to him, yelling about some game. In spite of the irritated glance and the obviously annoyed sigh the blonde tackles him anyways. Sasuke lands flat on his back with Naruto pinning him to the dusty ground. This boy happens to be his best friend. Not that he will admit that out loud.

"I don't want to play tag." Sasuke says flatly. He always catches Naruto and it gets boring running after him all the time. Where's the excitement when he has to slow down for Naruto to win? There isn't any and that's why he doesn't want to play it at the moment.

Naruto's happy expression changes instantly. His blue eyes start to get all watery and his bottom lip quivers cutely. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto is easily moved to tears. "B-but why not?" The blonde asks.

Some emotion in him causes Sasuke to hate seeing Naruto cry. He sighs and glances away towards the woods. "Because I want to play hide-and-seek." Sasuke answers. If there is one thing Sasuke hates more than playing tag with Naruto its playing hide-and-seek. Naruto's senses are better and more beastly than Sasuke's. The blonde can hunt him down like a dog with his nose and insanely good hearing. He is a lot like that Kiba boy, only the 'dog' in him is some wilder type. Sasuke hasn't figured out the subtle difference yet but he will.

Ocean blue eyes widen slightly in surprise. "Really?" His brow furrows. "I thought you didn't like playing that game." The corners of his mouth turn down in a frown. Really, Naruto is so expressive in his features. Sasuke can read him like a book.

"Well today I want to play it." Sasuke replies, shrugging one shoulder. The action reminds him that he's still on the ground. He gives a small frown that is ignored or unnoticed by the eccentric blonde.

The boy on top of him shifts slightly. "Why would you want to play it? You hate how almost everyone has an advantage over you in some way." Sometimes Sasuke forgets that Naruto can read him just as well as he can read the blonde.

Sasuke's cheeks turn a delicate shade of pink. He hates to be reminded of any weaknesses he may or may not have. But he needs to make Naruto believe he really wants to play this so they don't end up playing tag. "There will be a treat for you if you can find and catch me."

Ocean blue eyes narrow suspiciously. "What kind of treat?" Naruto asks slowly. Last time Sasuke had said there would be a treat he got punched in the face. Naturally Naruto doesn't want to make that mistake again.

Even though he has no idea what its going to be Sasuke answers, "A good one. One of a kind. And only for you." Great. Now he's going to have to come up with something for his friend. And something that no one else will ever get.

Ever trusting, Naruto relaxes and smiles. Punches aren't just reserved for him so it can't be anything painful. "Okay!" Naruto agrees with a large grin. He gets off the raven and bounds a few paces away only to return to Sasuke's side a few seconds later. Sasuke picks himself up off the ground and dusts off his butt and back. "Go hide and I'll count to...fifty!"

"One hundred." Sasuke demands. When the blonde counts to fifty he only gets to ten then takes off in search of his playmate. One hundred would make him count to at least thirty if not forty. One of these days he's going to have to learn to count properly or no one will want to play with him.

Naruto glares at him.

Sasuke glares right back. "One hundred or no treat." He answers the unspoken protest.

The blonde boy seems to be contemplating this. Finally he nods. "Fine Sasu, have it your way." The blonde growls good-humorously. He drops to the ground, covers his eyes,and starts counting. "1...3...4...6..."

Sasuke sighs. Naruto always cheats somehow. "Count the right way. No skipping." Sasuke growls as he runs off.

He hears the blonde growl in response and restart. "1...2...3...4...5...6...Sasu's mean...7...8..." Suddenly he couldn't hear Naruto counting anymore. He was out of ear shot. Sasuke decides that he will make a wide circle, criss-cross a lot, and then hide by the spring up ahead. He goes through with his plan, hearing the blonde counting when he gets closer. "18...19...20...21..." Then he's out of earshot again and only hears his feet hitting the ground and his heart beating

His plan complete, Sasuke collapses by the spring and drinks directly from it. His thirst satisfied, he leans against a tree between its exposed roots and waits for the blonde. Closing his eyes, Sasuke slows his heartbeat and makes sure his breathing can't be heard. They are both techniques he taught himself specifically for this game and nothing else. Though it might come in handy when he becomes a ninja.

A long time later – at least to Sasuke it felt long – Sasuke hears the blonde coming. Like a dog he is pacing restlessly, probably having lost the scent of his prey. He hears leaves rustling and breaking, bushes quivering, and a bird that is startled by Naruto's searching. Then Naruto sighs. If he hadn't been listening for them, Sasuke would have missed the few sniffs given by the hunter.

More moving sounds. Pausing. The raven knows from experience that Naruto is listening for his heart beating and his breathing. Sasuke silently exhales and tries not to laugh. He finds it hilarious that Naruto can't hear him and is glad for this one small advantage.

Suddenly all sound was gone. Sasuke opens his eyes. He sees a bird perched in a tree opposite him staring at something behind him with beady black eyes. The blonde, no doubt. It takes wing a second before Naruto appears on the other side of the tree. If Sasuke runs the blonde will catch up and it will be too much like tag. If he stays where he is Naruto will find him. From the corner of his eye Sasuke sees Naruto by the tree.

Ocean blue eyes flickering to the source of every movement, nose to the ground, head tilted to the side to hear better, mouth open slightly. He's on his hands and feet and though his legs are longer than his arms by bending his knees slightly he gives the appearance of being more dog than human and evens himself out. All in all Naruto pulls off the stance quite nicely. No doubt Kiba taught him this move.

His fingers are slightly bent as well; not good for running on but for being silent. Kiba didn't teach him that. Suddenly Naruto goes still and lifts his head to look around. Sasuke tries to calm his racing heart and after some struggle succeeds. Its too late, though. After a tense second – one of the longest in Sasuke's life – Naruto goes back to trying to find Sasuke. Then he turns back around and into the bushes.

Sasuke can't follow the sounds so Naruto must be using the silent trick still. Apprehension fills Sasuke. Before he can do anything he's pinned against the tree. The blonde has both his hands in his own and his leg between Sasuke's keeping the raven in place.

Triumph shows in the blonde's everything; his eyes, his expression, his stance, his body. "I caught you." the blonde whispers. Being so in tune to his animal instincts, Naruto's voice sounds a bit on the savage side. It reminds Sasuke that playing with him can be dangerous. "So give me my treat."

He tries without success to break free of the blonde's clutches. In spite of his dislike at being captured, Sasuke smiles up at Naruto. "Fine, Inu."

"Kitsune." Naruto replies. His expression is somewhat irritated. Sasuke blinks. A rare confused expression crosses his face. "Kitsune not Inu." Naruto explains.

Fox not dog. Now it makes sense.

"Fine then, Kitsune." Sasuke whispers. Without thinking about it he lifts his head and presses his lips against the blonde's. Due to surprise, said blonde loosens his grip on the raven. Sasuke doesn't wiggle away like he wanted to just moments ago.

The kiss doesn't last long – only a few seconds – and the blonde breaks if off first. He doesn't move to let Sasuke up either. His face is for once unreadable. The raven wonders if he's going to get punched for kissing his best friend who also happens to be a boy.

"Didn't like your treat?" Sasuke asks softly. He is acutely aware that he might not want to hear the answer to this.

Naruto leans down so that his mouth is by Sasuke's ear. "Actually, I don't think I got enough of it. Maybe one more time?" The blonde replies.

Relief brings a smirk to his face. "Well, you did do a good job." Sasuke answers. Even though it was no different than any other time. Neither mentions this fact. He twines their fingers together and colour returns to his face. Naruto sits between Sasuke's legs, his own wrapped around the tree and Sasuke. They kiss again a little bit more heatedly. When they break away both of them are blushing furiously but their eyes sparkle happily.

"One more? For...uh...you participating?" The blonde asks somewhat shyly. Sasuke feels a strange feeling in his chest but ignores it. Later he will analyze why suddenly it feels like can float and why butterflies are fluttering around in his stomach and why his heart is going to burst with some strong emotion he can't quite name.

"Yeah. One more, cause," Sasuke finds himself unable to recall what Naruto said. "Whatever you said." he finishes lamely. They press their lips together again.

When they break away after another few seconds the Naruto leans against Sasuke's chest. Glancing down, Sasuke can see that he's struggling to keep his eyes open. Sasuke strokes the wild blonde hair, making the poor blonde lose in his fight to stay away. "Love you, Naru." The words just slipped out and he feels a brief moment of panic.

"Love you too, Sasu." Naruto murmurs back. He nuzzles Sasuke's chest and the panic leaves him.


End file.
